Obi-Wan and Anakin's First Adventure
by Barbara Fett
Summary: My attempt at a humorous story, set 6 months after TPM. PG for one word. The last 2 chapters are a crossover.
1. Off on a Mission

A/N: Finally, a Star Wars fic from me! :-D   


_A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away . . ._   
"Greetings, Obi-Wan Kenobi," said the hologram of Mace Windu. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi and his new Padawan, Anakin Skywalker, were in a small room at the Jedi Temple, viewing a message that had just come in for them. What did the Jedi Master have to tell them? 

"I have an assignment for you," Master Windu went on. "There has been a discovery on Corellia. We have encountered someone with strong Force potential, but he doesn't know he has it, and apparently doesn't understand where he is. The Jedi Council is asking for several Knights to come and help us figure out who this person is. Please report to the Corellian Security Force offices as soon as possible. Thank you and may the Force be with you." 

The message ended. Obi-Wan said, "Why do I get the feeling we've picked up another vergeance in the Force?" 

"I think we have," answered Anakin. "Let's go find out!" 

Obi-Wan smiled at his student's enthusiasm. "Very well then. We're off on our first adventure!" 

They got up and started towards the hangar bays. 

"What happened?" Anakin wondered aloud. "Why did it take 6 months for us to get something to actually _do?_" 

"Politics is what happened," Obi-Wan answered scornfully. "The Trade Federation deals . . . Jedi graduation ceremonies . . . your girlfriend . . . oops -" _Did I say that out loud?_

"Girlfriend? How did you know I had a girlfriend? Oops -" _Did I say that out loud?_

They exchanged amused glances. "Well, there's nothing wrong with that," said Obi-Wan, not really sounding like he believed it. "I'm sure you'll see her again." 

***** 

It was already dark when they got to Corellia. Anakin had done most of the piloting on the way there. They were just now approaching the CorSec offices. 

"Closed?!" exclaimed Obi-Wan. "But -" 

It was true, apparently. The building was totally dark, and the faintly glowing sign announcing that it was closed also stated that it would be open at 0800 hours the next morning. 

"I guess we'll have to find somewhere to spend the night," said Obi-Wan. He turned and started walking down the nearest residential street. 

As Anakin followed, he sensed a whisper of information through the Force: " . . . plot device . . . " 

_What's that supposed to mean?_ he wondered. Then he felt a summoning from his master. Obi-Wan had found someone else who was Force sensitive!   


Disclaimer: Obi-Wan, Anakin, Corellia and all the other Star Wars stuff belongs to Lucasfilm Ltd. No money is being made off this; I write because it's fun. :-) 


	2. Vent the Night Away

A/N: There is some subtle self-insertion here. I started off thinking of Mel-Ano as me, but she seems to have morphed a bit afield from me. We still act a lot alike, though.   
WARNING: Don't read this fic if you like Jar Jar Binks! :-D This does contain Jar Jar Bashing. Now I don't personally hate Jar Jar, but I still liked the song played in this story. The song really exists and can be downloaded. I got it from Napster, so I have no idea who owns it.   


Mel-Ano Nigwen was practicing her Force-levitation skills on a glass of water when the doorbell rang. Hurriedly, she set it down and opened the door. 

She was astonished to see a Jedi Knight and his Padawan standing there. _What are they doing here? Have I been found out? . . . Is that even a bad thing?_

"Good evening, gentles," she remembered to say. "What can I do for you?" 

"I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this is Anakin Skywalker," said the Knight. "We need somewhere to spend the night." 

"Oh . . . um, of course," she said, waving them inside. "I'm Mel-Ano Nigwen." 

Obi-Wan entered, thinking, _Damn, I'm good. She's pretty and a Force user too . . ._

***** 

It was several hours later. Anakin was asleep, and Obi-Wan was sitting at the kitchen table, where Mel-Ano found him. 

"Something wrong?" asked Mel-Ano, laying a hand gently on Obi-Wan's shoulder. 

"Yeah," he admitted reluctantly. "Stress. This is my first mission as a Master, rather than a Padawan." 

"You seem to be a little angry about something, too." 

"Well, sort of . . . The outcome of my last battle." 

"You lost someone." 

He nodded. "You have some Jedi abilities too, don't you?" 

She sat down next to him, sighing. "Yes, I do. I washed out of the order when I was 12, and I decided to come home and get a job, keeping my abilities a secret." 

"I understand." _Sort of._

Mel-Ano smiled. "Well, I think I know what you need. You need to vent. You need an outlet for your anger. And I have just the thing." 

She powered up the personal computer sitting on a nearby table 

"There's this one song," she explained, working the controls fluently. "It's got lots of energy, lots of yelling, and when I'm angry, I chant along with it and it helps me forget what happened. That can be a bit tiring, though, so there are some quiet, relaxing songs right after it." 

She pulled Obi-Wan to a standing position just as the song started. It began as a slow, digital-sounding march. 

"And try to dance when the fast part starts," Mel-Ano finished. "It helps." 

The fast part started. The words were not sung, but spoken in rhythm. 

"Computer-generated but the fans all hate him,   
Jar Jar Binks must die!   
Jabba the Hutt should have kicked his butt,   
Jar Jar Binks must die!   
Looked so dumb when his tongue went numb,   
Jar Jar Binks must die!   
I paid eight bucks but the movie really sucks,   
Jar Jar Binks must die!   
Die! Die! Jar Jar Binks must die!   
Die! Die! Jar Jar Binks must die!" 

The song, if it could be called that, continued with several people's comments on Jar Jar. 

"That movie would be pretty good if Jar Jar wasn't in it -"   
"Oh, Jar Jar Binks was just terrible."   
"I'd like to see a Wookiee rip his arms off."   
Pause. "Break it down!" 

The song became a string of low-pitched, incomprehensible words. Obi-Wan found that his dance movements slowed at this point, while confusion overtook him. What was this movie? How could Jar Jar have been in it, when at this moment he was back home on Naboo? And what was so terrible about poor, naive, lovable Jar Jar? 

He caught some more words to the song: 

" . . . but we all know why, that Jar Jar Binks must die!" 

Then came a really bad impression of Jar Jar: 

"Meesa love you! Bbbbbbbrrrr!" 

And back to the chant again: 

"Die! Die! Jar Jar Binks must die!   
Die! Die! Jar Jar Binks must _diiiiieeeeeee!_"   
The song was over. Mel-Ano collapsed, laughing, into her chair. Obi-Wan did the same, only without laughing. 

"Oh, that is just great," said Mel-Ano. "Ready for the other songs?" 

"No," answered Obi-Wan. "I have a few questions about that song." 

Quickly, Mel-Ano pressed a control on her computer. "Yeah, what?" 

"I've known Jar Jar Binks for a little while now. Who made the movie? Why do people hate him so much?" 

"You know Jar Jar? Wow! Well, some people on Tatooine saw Jar Jar and decided to make a holomovie about him. But he wasn't there to act in it, so they made a computer-generated picture of him and put it in the movie. The movie was released a few weeks ago, and it gained a large fan following, but everyone hated Jar Jar because he was so clumsy and stupid." 

"Who was in charge of the movie's production?" 

"Sebulba, a well-known podracer in the area. The film is mostly about podracing, actually; Jar Jar is a supporting character." 

"That's so weird. Making a movie with someone in it they only knew for two days or so." 

"You were _there?_ On Tatooine, with Jar Jar?" 

"Yes. I stayed on the ship the whole time, though. My old Master Qui-Gon, Padme, Jar Jar, and one droid went into the city to buy parts for our ship." 

"Wow! I know someone who knew someone who was in a holomovie!" 

Obi-Wan smiled. "What was the movie called?" 

" 'Race of Rivals.' So, you feeling any better?" 

"A little." 

"Okay. Let's hear the relaxing music." 

"All right." 

She pressed a control, and the computer began to play a slow, melodic song that supplemented Obi-Wan's attempts to calm himself, forget his worries, and prepare for whatever was to happen the next day.   


Disclaimer: Obi-Wan, Anakin, Corellia and all the other Star Wars stuff belongs to Lucasfilm Ltd. "Jar Jar Must Die" belongs to somebody, I don't know who, but it's not me. Mel-Ano Nigwen is the only one who belongs to me. I write these stories because it's fun. :-) 


	3. Meeting Someone New

It was the next morning. Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker, were walking through the offices of the Corellian Security Force, or CorSec. 

"He is an extremely strange child," Dr. Prazan told them. She was leading them through the building to that strange child, who she was in charge of. "He has this fantastic story about how he came to Corellia - in fact, how he came to this galaxy. We invited you Jedi here to try and make sense of it, and to explain to him about the Force - I think that's a very important thing for him to know." 

"Very interesting," said Obi-Wan. 

"Ah, here we are." Dr. Prazan opened a door. The room beyond it contained a bed, three chairs, and a table with a microscope on it. Sitting on the bed was, indeed, an extremely strange child. 

He wore gloves, unfamiliar clothes that were mostly blue, and a brimmed, cylindrical hat. His brown hair stuck out in stiff spikes, and he had very large, oddly-shaped eyes. 

"Richie," Dr. Prazan said to the boy, "I'd like you to meet Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker." 

"Hi," Richie said, without much enthusiam. "Are you here to interrogate me too?" 

"Of course not," said Obi-Wan, trying to sound friendly. "We are members of an order called the Jedi Knights, and we're here to try and make some sense out of your story, and to help you get used to life around here." 

"You mean . . . Am I stuck here?" 

"Perhaps. Let's hear your story first." 

"Okay." Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Dr. Prazan pulled up chairs to listen. 

"This is how I got here," Richie began, "and it's _true_, okay?" 

"Okay," said Obi-Wan. 

"Good. So, I was on my way to the Saffron City Gym for a second try at defeating the gym leader, Sabrina, in battle. When I got there, I noticed that there was a new teleport pad just outside the doorway." 

"He says that's something they use on his world to instantly transport people a short distance," clarified Dr. Prazan. "It doesn't seem possible."   
"It _is_ possible!" Richie asserted. "The Saffron City Gym has lots of them. And I knew this one was new, since I'd been there before. This one looked different. It had a symbol on it, like an asterisk inside a circle. 

"I ignored it and continued on into the gym, but just as I got to the first of the teleport pads leading to the arena, my curiosity just took over. I _had _to know where that new pad took you. 

"So I went back to the entrance and stood on the pad, but it didn't work like all the others. First, a sort of force field came out of the edges of the pad, went up and closed over my head. It was clear, and it felt like soft glass. Next, a vent near my feet opened and started filling the little bubble I was in with air. 

"Next, the pad started to move. It shot off the ground and went up and up, faster and faster. In just a few seconds the pad was stuck to my feet, hurtling me through space. I had to watch my own beautiful planet Earth vanish into the distance behind me. Then I realized that I was screaming, and getting tired of it, so I started to look around. 

"I was obviously moving through space at an incredible speed. There was plenty of air within my bubble, thanks to that vent. The stars and planets went by so fast . . . it was amazing . . . 

"After some time, maybe five or ten minutes, I looked back and saw that I had left an entire galaxy - _my _galaxy - behind. For all its majesty, it was rather sad. Would I ever see it again? 

"I continued to shoot through space for about twenty more minutes, and I passed between or through another galaxy or two, I'm not sure. That was when I began to wonder, did the teleport pad know where it was going? 

"Obviously, it did. When I entered this galaxy, the pad headed toward a certain planet - this one, Corellia, right?" 

"Right," said Obi-Wan. 

"Yeah," Richie went on, "so, when I got to Corellia, the pad turned so that I was entering the atmosphere feet-first. The air in the bubble got very hot, and then I was standing on the ground. 

"The force field retracted, and I stepped off the pad. As soon as I did, it cracked and turned dark gray. So I think I was right - I _am_ stuck here." 

"Well," commented Anakin, "that's -" 

"I'm not done yet!" said Richie. "So then I started looking for any sign of civilization. When I found this city, I started wandering around, and Dr. Prazan found me and said I should stay here. There, I'm done." 

"Hmmmm..." said Obi-Wan. The room was silent, waiting for the Jedi's appraisal of the story. 

"It's very interesting," Obi-Wan commented. "Could it be true? I really don't know . . ." 

"I have an idea," said Anakin. "If we find the place where Richie landed, and the teleport pad is there, that'll prove the story is true!" 

Obi-Wan stared at his young Padawan. _Why didn't I think of that?_

"A wise idea," said Obi-Wan at length. "Let's go." He started to get up. 

"Wait!" said Dr. Prazan quickly. "I want you to see this." She activated the microscope on the table. "We have here a sample of Richie's cells. We found his midichlorian count to be above average, which was surprising enough, but looking at them through this . . . well, that was _really_ strange. Here, take a look." 

Obi-Wan looked. _My goodness! Are_ those _midichlorians?_

They were in the usual configuration, but they were bright yellow in color. Each one had two tiny red dots on its main part, and three appendages: two pointed with black tips, the other zigzagging with a brown base. 

"That has to be the strangest thing I've seen since the electrostatic field," said Obi-Wan. "How do you know those _are_ midichlorians?" 

"Well, _you _could determine that," answered Dr. Prazan. "Just do a Force scan of the area. If you can sense Richie, then those are indeed midichlorians." 

"Okay... quiet, please..." Obi-Wan reached out with the Force. 

There were only three Force-sensitives nearby: himself, Anakin, and Richie. _Wow... that is one brave, goodhearted kid. He'd make a great Jedi . . ._

Slowly, Obi-Wan reverted to the real world. "Oh, yes, those are midichlorians, all right. In fact, Richie has great potential to be a Jedi Knight." 

"What's that mean?" Richie asked. "And what are midichlorians?" 

Obi-Wan smiled. "Midichlorians are microscopic life-forms that live inside the cells of beings in this galaxy. Without the midichlorians, life could not exist, and we would have no knowledge of the Force." 

"The Force?" 

"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things; it surrounds us and penetrates us and binds the galaxy together." 

"So I . . . _have_ the Force." 

"Yes, you have the ability to feel it, which is a good start. If you developed your powers, you could use them to move objects, send messages to your fellow Jedi, influence the thoughts of the weak-minded, and use some really cool moves in hand-to-hand combat." 

"Wow! Um... can I look in the microscope?" 

"Sure, go ahead." 

Richie went over to the microscope, looked in, and laughed out loud. 

"What?" said Obi-Wan. 

"They - they look like little Pikachus!" Richie spluttered. "Oh, man... they don't _always_ look like that, do they?" 

"No. That's what makes you so unusual. You're proof that not only is there is life in other galaxies, but that some of it can use the Force. And what's a Pikachu?" 

"Watch this." 

As Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Dr. Prazan watched, Richie pulled out a hard ball. It was half-red, half-white, and sported a yellow star sticker. He threw it towards the floor, commanding, "Sparky, come out!" 

The ball opened and flew back to Richie's hand, leaving a glowing mass of energy on the floor, which resolved itself into the form of a yellow rodent standing on two legs. It was easy to see the resemblance between this lifeform and those in the microscope. 

"Everyone," said Richie, "this is my Pikachu, Sparky." 

"Pika pika," Sparky greeted the group. 

"Is that your pet?" asked Anakin. 

"Not exactly," said Richie. "Sparky is a Pokémon, and I'm a Pokémon trainer. Many people on my planet are. Pokémon are a special kind of animal that, when trained, are pets, friends and tools for competing in Pokémon matches all in one." 

"Matches? You mean, they fight each other?" 

"Yes, but not to be bad or anything. Trainers teach their Pokémon different attacks and techniques, then have them battle each other to see whose Pokémon are the strongest." 

"What's one of Pikachu's attacks?" 

"The Thundershock." 

"Can we see it?" 

"If we go outside, yes. If Sparky did it in here, he'd break something, or short out the lights." 

****** 

Minutes later, out behind the office building, Richie commanded, "Sparky, show us your Thundershock attack!" 

"Pika-CHUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" 

Sparky sent bolts of lightning up into the sky, taking care not to hit anyone or anything. 

"Amazing!" said Obi-Wan. "Do you have any other Pokémon?" 

"Yes, a Charmander and a Butterfree," answered Richie, throwing two more of the red-and-white balls. "Happy, Zippo, come out!" 

Out came an orange reptile with a flame burning at the end of its tail, and an insect with pale-blue wings. 

"Happy, Zippo, I'd like you to meet Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Dr. Prazan." To these people, Richie explained, "Happy is the Butterfree, the one who's flying. The other one, my Charmander, is Zippo." 

"Chaaarrrr!" Zippo said, looking at Dr. Prazan. It turned to Happy and said, "Char! Charmander char charmander!" 

"Free," agreed Happy. 

Richie laughed. "You're right, Zippo!" 

"What did they say?" asked Obi-Wan. 

"Well," Richie answered, "I don't _know_, but I can guess. I think Zippo pointed out that Dr. Prazan looks a lot like Nurse Joy, who takes care of sick and injured Pokémon back home." 

By then, Happy had flown over and landed on Obi-Wan's shoulder. 

"It likes you," giggled Richie. 

"I see." Obi-Wan didn't sound too happy. 

"Can we go look for the teleport pad now?" said Anakin. 

"Sure."   


**Disclaimer and Acknowledgement**

Acknowledgement: A BIG thank you to Linda "Soggy-Ben Doggy" Ingram for letting me use the "Midichlorians look like Pikachus" idea. MTFBWY! :-) 

Disclaimer: Obi-Wan, Anakin, and everything else Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm Ltd. Everything Pokémon belongs to Nintendo, Creatures, Gamefreak et al. Dr. Prazan belongs to me. No copyright infringement is intended; I write because it's fun. :-) 


	4. Discoveries and Combat

A/N: For those who don't know, "binders" are the Star Warsian equivalent of handcuffs. Chewie had to wear them when posing as a prisoner on the Death Star in ANH.   
If you don't like the fate of the Pokémon character in this story, say so NICELY. :-) And look out for a cameo appearance by an EU character! :-D   


Anakin, Obi-Wan, Richie, and Dr. Prazan walked to the forest outside of town. As they went, they exchanged stories from their homeworlds. 

Soon, they came to a calm forest clearing. 

"Look at that!" said Richie. 

Sure enough, there it was, looking like a flat gray rock. They all gathered around it. 

The teleport pad had cracked in half, splitting the circular symbol Richie had described. It even felt like any other rock. 

"Wow," Obi-Wan said quietly. "It's true. This pad brought this kid to this galaxy." 

"It's going to be big news," said Dr. Prazan. 

"If it gets out," said Anakin. 

"Yeah," said Obi-Wan, "that's a big decision we'll have to make." He turned to Richie. "Do you realize how remarkable you are now?" 

"Well, yeah. I _am_ from another galaxy and all." 

"Exactly. You're from another galaxy, you're a human, and you're Force-sensitive. It's quite . . . well, it's a really big thing to discover proof of life like that." 

"And if word of this gets out," Dr. Prazan added, "you could -" 

She was interrupted by the sound of a door opening and closing, followed by a voice. 

Obi-Wan moved towards the sound, signaling for the others to follow quietly. They found that the sound was coming from a small, isolated, one-story building with one window. Obi-Wan and the others crouched around and below it. 

"Well? Do you have it?" asked a low, sinister voice. 

"Of course," answered a different voice. "Where's our client?" 

"Right here." This time, the voice was female, but gruff. "Here's the cash." 

"And here's the spice, ma'am," said the second voice. "Enjoy." 

"Of course." 

Obi-Wan led the group back to the clearing, then said, "I think we all know what's going on here." 

"I don't," said Richie. 

"Oh. Right. Well, these people are probably smugglers; they're selling an illegal substance - spice. It's a drug." 

"I'll go alert CorSec," said Dr. Prazan. 

"Good idea," said Obi-Wan. "Anakin and I will stay here and stop them if they try to leave." 

"What about me?" said Richie. 

Obi-Wan turned to him, looking serious. "Do you want to stay with us? Your Pokémon may be of help. It'll be dangerous, though." 

"Sure! I can handle it. I've been on dangerous missions before. One time, this crime syndicate called Team Rocket took Sparky, and my friend Ash's Pikachu too, and -" 

"Later, Richie," said Obi-Wan. "Right now, we need to be watching and waiting, not talking." 

****** 

Minutes later, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Richie were hiding in the foliage to one side of the entrance to the smuggler's nest. Dr. Prazan was on her way back to the city. 

Out came the woman they had heard buying the spice. She was large, not very pretty. 

"I _know_ I heard something out here," she remarked. 

"You sure did!" announced Richie, standing up. "And your little operation is over!" 

_"Richie!"_ snapped a very irritated Obi-Wan. With a look that said _You dumb kid,_ he activated his lightsaber. Anakin followed suit. 

Together, the Knight and Padawan began to deflect their opponent's blaster bolts. Richie watched in amazement. _Wow, they're good!_

Suddenly, Richie sensed something. It felt like his thoughts were being influenced, invaded._ It's the Force! He's trying to tell me something!_

He struggled to receive the message. All he got were images, feelings... something orange... a burst of flame... then the joy of victory. 

"Oh! You want me to use -" He quickly threw a Pokéball. "Zippo! Flamethrower attack!" 

"Char?" Zippo gave Richie a puzzled look. _Why should I attack her? She's not a Pokémon._

"Please, Zippo," said Richie, "I know this isn't a normal thing to do, but the circumstances aren't normal, either. Just hit her hard enough to scare her away." 

"Char." Zippo nodded, then turned to the woman. "CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!" 

Obi-Wan and Anakin jumped out of the way. The woman, her clothes smoldering, ran away through the forest, screaming. 

The three protagonists stood motionless for a minute, giving each other a look that said _Wow._ Finally, Obi-Wan said, "You got my message." 

"Yeah," said Richie, "you told me how I could help. I hope she'll be all right..." 

"But this proves that you really _can_ use the Force. Isn't that _great_?" 

"Well, it is pretty cool..." Richie still wasn't sure it was _great._

But just then, the clearing in front of the hideout suddenly became very crowded. Out of the hideout came a small crowd of henchpeople. Moments later, a landspeeder-load of good guys arrived: Dr. Prazan, several CorSec officers, and - to Obi-Wan's great surprise - Mel-Ano Nigwen! 

Mel-Ano wore comfortable athletic clothes and carried a modest lightsaber. As soon as the landspeeder stopped, she ran over to Obi-Wan and said, "I'll explain later. Let's kick some butt!" 

The good guys got a system going. First, those with lightsabers disarmed the smugglers; then, those with binders (the CorSecers) applied them and locked the arrestees in the landspeeder. 

"Good work, everyone," said Obi-Wan when this task was completed. "Dr. Prazan, officers, there are at least two more people inside. Be prepared." 

"We are," said Dr. Prazan. 

"Mel-Ano, your explanation?" 

Mel-Ano smiled. "I know Dr. Prazan. When I saw her going off on this little mission, I asked if I could help, and she let me come." 

"And I can hardly believe what I saw," Dr. Prazan cut in. "You, a Jedi?" 

"Well..." Mel-Ano tried to hide her embarrassment. "I'm a Jedi dropout. I was trained in the Jedi arts as a kid, but it didn't work out, so I came back here and got a job. I've never told anyone about that, until last night, when I met Obi-Wan. He helped me to see that there's no reason to hide a talent you have. I feel a lot better about myself now." 

_I did that?_ thought Obi-Wan. "You're welcome, swee - I mean, Mel-Ano." 

"So you know these guys?" Dr. Prazan asked. 

"Just since last night - hey, who's that?" 

"Oh, that's Richie," said Obi-Wan, as Richie came over to the group. "He's... um, a guest of Dr. Prazan's." 

"It's a long story," said Richie and Dr. Prazan together. 

"And I think I know what to do next," Dr. Prazan continued. "Some of my people will go in first to knock out communication and security systems. Then you go in and, as Mel-Ano put it, kick some butt. The rest of my people and I will be right behind you for the arrest." 

"Agreed." 

****** 

"It's all yours." 

Obi-Wan sighed with relief, and anticipation. The officer speaking to him had done well with Phase 1 of the plan - now it was Team Force Power's turn. 

"You know," said Mel-Ano, "I think I'd rather be with Dr. Prazan's group. I'm not as good with fighting as you are." 

"Oh," said Obi-Wan. "What a shame. Very well, you can stay with them." He turned away. "Ready, guys?" 

"Yes, Master," said Anakin. 

"Yeah," said Richie. 

"Follow me." 

Obi-Wan led the two boys into the hideout. They stayed as quiet as they could. 

"Once we're in the main office, we'll have to keep them busy just for a minute," Obi-Wan whispered. "Get ready for a fight." 

The boys nodded. Obi-Wan opened the door to the spacious, messy main office. 

"Yes?" said the guy who was obviously in charge of the operation. 

"Hi," said Obi-Wan, with cool confidence. "You guys are in trouble now." 

"Oh?" 

"Yeah," said Richie. "We're here to kick some butt!" 

Obi-Wan tried not to laugh. 

"Mmmmmm," said the head smuggler. "What a coincidence. That's what _these_ guys are here for." 

Out of the shadows emerged several tough-looking, hardened bodyguards. Obi-Wan and Anakin reached for their lightsabers. 

"I can handle this one," Richie admonished, throwing a Pokéball. "Sparky! Give them your Thundershock!" 

"Pika-CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!" 

When the lightning cleared, the guards looked tired and disoriented, but they weren't giving up! Thinking quickly, Richie called another shot: "Happy! Sleep Powder!" 

"Freeeeeeeeeeeee!" warbled the Butterfree, sprinkling powder over the smugglers. In moments, all of them were knocked out. 

"That was so wizard, Richie," Anakin commended him. 

"Good thing you were here," added Obi-Wan. Richie had a huge grin on his face. 

Just then, in came Dr. Prazan and a few other CorSecers. All of them carried a set of binders. 

"What -" Dr. Prazan started to ask. She was cut short by one of her people slipping on the trash on the floor, falling, and in that process letting go of his binders so that they flew up onto a high shelf. 

"Hal Horn, you impossible man!" exclaimed Dr. Prazan. "Really, you amaze me." 

Richie was busy thinking about the situation. They needed the binders back quickly (the effects of the sleep powder would wear off in a few minutes), but none of them could reach the shelf and Happy was taking a much-needed rest. What could be done? 

Then Richie remembered what Obi-Wan had said: "If you developed your powers, you could use them to move objects..." That was it! _Well, I haven't exactly_ developed _the skill, but it's worth a try._

"I know what to do," he declared to the others. "Give me a minute here..." 

He sat down, breathed deeply, and tried to remember how it had felt the first time he'd experienced the Force. To his surprise and delight, it came back, this time with a little more power. He then concentrated on moving the binders. 

With great effort, he pulled them forward far enough to cause them to fall to the floor. As soon as this was done, he almost collapsed from the effort, then recovered and grinned. 

"I did it! I did it! I _can_ be a Jedi!" 

"Yes," said Obi-Wan. "To be able to move something with the Force on your first try, without any instruction, is incredible. With talent like that, you can hardly pass up the opportunity to be trained." 

"I know," said Richie. "And I _want_ to be trained. It's very fortunate that the world I got thrown into has a place for me." 

Obi-Wan smiled proudly as they all left the room with gradually-awakening smugglers in tow. 

****** 

Back at CorSec headquarters, six people were talking in earnest over lunch - Obi-Wan, Anakin, Richie, Dr. Prazan, Hal Horn, and Mel-Ano Nigwen. Happy, Zippo, and Sparky were gathered around a bowl of food on the floor. 

"So, Richie," said Mel-Ano, "you moved those binders all by yourself? Are you to become a Jedi?" 

"That's right," Richie said proudly. "I'm going to the Jedi Temple, to start my training, I hope." 

"And the news about you, about where you came from... if word gets out about an intergalactic traveler..." 

"It won't," Obi-Wan assured her. "Not until the Jedi decide that the galaxy is ready to know something like that." 

"And I don't think I'm ready to be that famous either," said Richie. "Of course..." 

"What?" 

"Well, I once promised my friend Ash that we would both become Pokémon masters no matter what, but now . . . I guess I'll just do the best I can with what I have, and . . ." 

"Try to become a Jedi Master instead?" suggested Obi-Wan. 

"Good idea!" Richie felt a_ little_ better.   
"Ah," said Mel-Ano. "Well, I know you'll do well. All of you - Anakin and Obi-Wan, too. May the Force be with you!" 

"And you," said Obi-Wan. 

"Thank you," said Richie. "I can't wait to get started." 

Following an old habit, he stood up, posed triumphantly and cried, "Yeah! I caught Force Power!" His Pokémon jumped up to join in the celebratory pose. 

Obi-Wan laughed inwardly. _They're weirdos, all right, but they're_ nice _weirdos. I wish I could train him... oh, well. I'm sure he'll succeed, no matter what._   
_Richie, the Force will be with you. Always._   
__ __

Disclaimer: Obi-Wan, Anakin, and everything else Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm Ltd. Everything Pokémon belongs to Nintendo, Creatures, Gamefreak et al. Mel-Ano Nigwen, Dr. Prazan, and all those unnamed bad guys belong to me. No copyright infringement is intended; I write because it's fun. :-) 


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